


All My Fault

by Master_Magician



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23970649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Master_Magician/pseuds/Master_Magician
Summary: While Tifa knew how hard she could punch, and despite her growing fear, she didn't hit Cloud as hard as she could. But it still should have been enough to get him to release her, especially with his burns no doubt causing him so much pain on their own.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 30





	All My Fault

**Author's Note:**

> Been a while since I've written… well, anything. And I certainly didn't expect to be writing for Final Fantasy VII, but then again, I didn't expect to enjoy the remake quite this much, so here we are with my first foray into Final Fantasy fanfiction.
> 
> Originally, I wasn't going to do this one first, but it was one of those stories once you start, it just goes and goes on its own. My others will be much brighter.
> 
> I have many more fics thought out and partially written but I wanted to get my first one out and finished so here you all go.
> 
> Enjoy!

"Hello? Where is everyone?"

Never before had Tifa ever seen the sector 7 slums so… empty. Normally the crowded streets would be bustling with activity, now there was not a single sign of life anywhere. No people, no dogs, not even any rodents as far as Tifa could tell.

It couldn't have been some kind of attack, Tifa would have heard it from her apartment. A massed evacuation maybe? Also unlikely, Barret would have kicked down her door to alert her, if not him then maybe one of the other members of Avalanche. Whoever it was, someone would have come and roused her.

Marle was also similarly absent. Tifa even tried using her landlady's backup key to get into her place, something Tifa was given permission to do only in an emergency, but found it empty. Marco's apartment was similarly unresponsive.

What Tifa really found unnerving was the silence. Whether it was people talking, arguing, or the occasional good time, there was always sound echoing across the cramped streets. This kind of emptiness felt unnatural.

"Anyone?" Tifa once again yelled but it was no different to the other dozen times Tifa tried.

At least Seventh Heaven was in sight now. Perhaps the others were in the hidden room below? They might be down there every bit as stumped as she was. If she had no luck here, then she was going to need to figure out a new plan.

Tifa had taken the first step onto the stairs when she heard the sound.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It was slow, rhythmic, deliberate, and coming from inside Seventh Heaven.

Tifa's hand reached for the doorknob but didn't realize until she saw it how bad her hand was shaking. She tried clenching and unclenching her hand into fists to get the trembling to stop but it didn't help any.

"Get ahold of yourself." Tifa chastised herself. This was her bar, her business and place of work. So, why was she waiting outside like some little girl afraid of the monster in the closet? No, Tifa was not some frightened little girl, she was the woman who kicked the monster back into whatever hole it crawled out of.

Nerves steeled, but unable to fully erase that uneasy feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, Tifa threw open the door and stepped inside.

Tifa was unsure what she was expecting to find inside, but Cloud Strife sitting in a stool at the bar was not one of those things. Even stranger, the sound was coming from the tapping of his foot on the old floorboards. She'd never have been able to hear it over the bustle of the slums but with all other sounds gone, it was clear as day.

"Cloud?" Tifa nearly felt her heard lurch out of her chest. "You're alive! I was so worried…"

Seeing Cloud here, safe and unharmed, almost had Tifa at a loss for words. She'd been so scared after the near disaster that was their mission to reactor 5. There had been no sign of him for far too long for her liking.

Tifa was about to cross the room to embrace her oldest, and thankfully very much alive, friend but she only made it a couple steps before she sensed something was wrong. Much like all the silence outside, something about Cloud sitting here felt incredibly… off.

A chill crept up Tifa's spine for some reason. It was like all her survival instincts that she'd developed over the years were kicking in to scream a single word that rebounded throughout her mind.

Run.

Run!

Yet, Tifa was glued in place.

"Cloud?" That unpleasant feeling in Tifa's stomach was growing stronger with each shaky breath she took. "Cloud? You're kinda starting to scare me a little here…"

"Really?" It was all Cloud said, but that single word made Tifa's blood run cold with the sheer venom behind it. It was definitely Cloud's voice, but it sure didn't sound like him.

The tapping stopped, but it was not a comfortable silence that followed. More like a tense stillness, the kind that came when a predator prepared to strike defenseless prey.

Surely such a thing was a silly notion. Tifa knew Cloud would never attack her, maybe yell at her, but he would never get physical with her. It was unlike him, hell, he had never even raised his voice to her once to the best of her knowledge. Cloud was the very picture of stoicism.

Then again, it had been quite a few years. Could Cloud have changed more than she thought? They hadn't been back into each other's lives for very long…

"Going somewhere?" Cloud spoke the instant Tifa had taken an involuntary step back.

"Who, me? Nah." Tifa laughed, but it came out far more nervous sounding than she intended. "I mean, I own the place and work here, why would I…"

As Tifa spoke, Cloud shifted in his seat to stand up. Her voice trailed off when she took in his appearance. His sword, one of his most striking features, was missing and nowhere in sight. His SOLDIER uniform was singed and burned in several places but the man himself seemed uninjured. Tifa thought that right up until Cloud turned around.

TIfa couldn't help herself. She let out a scream of horror at what she saw.

Cloud was not just badly burnt, his entire face had been hideously disfigured and scorched. It was so bad that Tifa almost didn't recognize the man before her. It was only the combination of his voice, hair, and eyes that allowed Tifa to identify him. The second of which was partially burned off, but Tifa hadn't seen this from the back.

"What's the matter?" Cloud smiled, actually smiled, but the sight was eerie. Not because of the burns, but because Cloud was never one to smile like this. This was something twisted and cruel. "Can't stomach the sight?"

"N… no. Just really…" Tifa managed to recover from her initial shock at her friends injuries, but that had given way to worry. "You know what? Forget it. One thing at a time."

Cloud was badly hurt, and from the look of him, he hadn't gotten medical help of any kind during the time he was missing. A quick glance was more than enough for Tifa to know she had to do something.

"Come on." Tifa made her way over to Cloud and was about to take his hand and lead him to one of the bar's back rooms when she saw the state they were in, too. How was Cloud not screaming his head off in agony? She knew SOLDIERS probably had high thresholds for pain but… this was inhuman. "Okay… new plan. Wait here."

Cloud didn't respond, but Tifa could feel his gaze burning into the back of her head as she moved to go behind the bar. Honestly, there was something about his eyes, Tifa couldn't meet them, it was uncomfortable to do so.

"Barret keeps a healing materia around here for emergencies. He might gripe and grumble but I'm pretty sure this qualifies for…" Tifa was halted in her tracks when Cloud's hand shot out and latched onto her wrist.

"Going somewhere?" Cloud asked again, that same smiling returning. This time Tifa did look at him in the eye. Since when did Cloud's teeth look so… sharp?

"Cloud." Tifa warned. "Let me go. We need to do something about these wounds."

"Why would I do that?"

"You're injured, I don't want to accidentally hurt you worse." Tifa explained but the truth was, Cloud's out of character behavior was starting to terrify her.

"As if you care."

"Ow!" Tifa felt Cloud's hand tighten around her wrist. "You're hurting me."

"I am?" Cloud for the briefest of moments sounded surprised before his smile grew, and with it grew Tifa's terror. "Good."

Tifa hesitated but Cloud seemed intent on crushing her bone in his hand, something a SOLDIER like him could do easily. As much as the idea repulsed Tifa, her old friend was giving her no choice.

Using her spare hand, Tifa backhanded Cloud to the face.

While Tifa knew how hard she could punch, and despite her growing fear, she didn't hit Cloud as hard as she could. But it still should have been enough to get him to release her, especially with his burns no doubt causing him so much pain on their own.

"That was rude." Cloud completely shrugged off Tifa's strike. If he felt the tiniest prick of pain, he didn't feel it. "My turn."

TIfa saw the blow coming before it could land. Good thing too, because when Cloud's fist swung and missed, it struck the bar counter instead. The man's hand going straight through the wood like it was made of paper.

This time, Tifa brought her knee up into Cloud's gut as hard as she could. He made a gasp as the wind was knocked out of him, but more importantly, he let go of her arm.

"Sorry!" Tifa apologized as she twirled around behind Cloud to land a heavy kick to his back. The blow sent the man tumbling head over heels to the other side of the counter.

Either this wasn't Cloud, or something was horribly wrong with him. Either way, Tifa needed to find Barret and the others, maybe they knew something she didn't.

Before Tifa could decide her next move, Cloud's hand came up from the far side of the bar to slam against the surface. Slowly, ominously, Cloud stood back up, eyes radiating an intense burning hatred and rage.

All directed at Tifa.

Cloud was never that expressive of a person, he became even less so after becoming a SOLDIER, but this was something else entirely. Not even Barret's well-known hatred of Shinra could come close to this.

"You…" Tifa slowly stepped away as Cloud jumped over the bar counter back to her side. "You're not Cloud. You can't be."

Tifa blinked and suddenly Cloud was right in front of her, his face inches from hers. "Oh, but I am. I am what you made me."

"What?" Tifa was impressed with herself, she didn't retreat this time when Cloud rushed her personal space.

"This." Cloud made a gesture as if to indicate himself.

"You think…" Tifa paused. "I wasn't the one who hurt you. That was Shinra's ambush. Why would you possibly think I did?"

"You brought me here."

Tifa felt her insides twisting into knots once more. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If I'm ever trapped or in trouble, promise me you'll come and save me." Cloud nearly snarled the words, each one like a needle right through Tifa's heart.

A memory from what seemed like a lifetime ago, but one Tifa still recalled clear as if it were yesterday. A young boy and girl sitting on a water tower beneath the moon. Bot blissfully unaware of the horrors life had in store for them.

"Why did you get me involved?" Cloud growled, slowly moving closer to Tifa as he did so. "Why did you do this to me?"

"I… I didn't mean to!" Tifa's breath came in short gasps, her voice shaking uncontrollably. "I'm s… sorry!"

"I…I… It's too late!" Cloud mocked Tifa's brief stutter as the buster sword appeared in Cloud's hand from seemingly nowhere and swung for Tifa's head. She sidestepped it at the last possible second, the weapon coming down to tear through one of the bar's tables, instead.

"Cloud!" Tifa barely managed to dodge another swing.

"You did this!" Cloud's lunge grazed Tifa's hip, cutting through the strap of her suspenders but, by some insane miracle, missed her flesh entirely. "It's all your fault!"

"I'm sorry! Just… please stop!" Tifa begged as she rolled over another table to avoid another attack.

Cloud said no more, merely grabbed the offending obstacle with his free hand and shoved it aside so hard it was sent flying through the window.

Tifa didn't know if she could take Cloud in a fight, but she did have confidence in her skills. Unfortunately, all of this evaporated beneath the enraged glare of Cloud Strife. The idea of even striking him now didn't even pop into her head.

Get away. Tifa had to get away, that was all there was to it.

Kicking another table into Cloud's path, Tifa sprinted for the door. If she could just get outside, she could lose him in the back alleys of the slums. She knew the place far better than him, after all. Then… then she could figure out what to do.

Tifa had barely made it to the open door when Cloud's sword came flying and embedded into the wood a foot away. The blade missed, but the chunk of wood that was now sticking up did not. She tripped and landed flat on her face.

That didn't stop her, though. Scrambling on all fours, Tifa made it back to her feet and outside to the steps in front of Seventh Heaven.

That was as far as Tifa managed to get before she felt the frigid cold blade of the buster sword against the back of her neck.

"Don't worry." Cloud leaned in and whispered in TIfa's ear, the blade never moving. "You're going to get exactly what you deserve."

Tifa wasn't sure if Cloud did it, or if the old wood simply gave out under her weight, but the end result was the same. The top step of the stairs gave way and Tifa was thrown down the stairs, cracking her head against the railing in the process.

Tifa could only lay at the base of the stairs, the entire world spinning and blurry, and watch as a manic Cloud descended the stairs with deafening footsteps, buster sword in hand and poised to strike.

Just as the weapon came down again, Tifa's world went dark.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"No!" Tifa shot up, bloodcurdling scream tearing from her throat.

"Wh… where?" Tifa frantically searched around in an attempt to regain her bearings. A quick flick of a nearby switch bathed what she discovered to be her room in a warm glow from the bedside lamp.

A dream, just a dream, or more accurately a nightmare.

That… thing, from Tifa's dream was not Cloud, just some fake dream duplicate her exhausted brain conjured up. Cloud trying to kill her, his injuries, that terrifying look in his eyes… none of it was real.

It might not have been real, but Dream-Cloud was still right about one thing. It really was Tifa's fault. He would never have taken the job for Avalanche if she hadn't of called him in. He would be off doing whatever he did with his mercenary work on his own. He wouldn't be…

No, no Cloud was not dead. Tifa refused to believe it. He was missing, sure, but not dead. Cloud was just somewhere in Midgar trying to find his way back to sector 7 and back home to h… his pay, yes, that's right. They still owed him so he would return for the gil he was owed. That was the only reason he would be coming back. He needed to be paid, and they had his money, so that was all there was to it.

Right?

Tifa was about to let herself flop back against the pillow when her front door was abruptly knocked clear off its hinges into the apartment. The shock was enough to make her let out a yelp and fall out of bed onto the floor.

"Tifa!" Barret of all people appeared in the doorway, minigun chambers already spinning and ready to let loose a torrent of gunfire at some perceived threat.

Only, there was nothing to shoot at. Just an empty room save a very confused Tifa tangled in the bedsheets on the floor.

"Outta the way!" Marle came next, somehow managing to elbow the hulking Barret further into the room, and brandishing an old rusty double-barreled shotgun. "Tifa! You okay? What's wrong?"

"All clear back here." Tifa couldn't see Biggs, but she could hear him from somewhere outside.

Tifa, freshly back to the waking world, could only gawk at her impromptu houseguests and wonder just what the hell was going on. They didn't have any ops going on until the mission to Wall Market tomorrow, so why were they here like…

Oh.

"I'm… all good. No problems here." A deeply blushing Tifa waved her hands frantically trying to calm the gun toting pair in front of her and hoping to the planet that a hole would open up and just swallow her alive.

Any time now would be great.

No? Terrific.

"We heard…"

"I know, Barret!" Tifa hissed climbing to her feet, almost tripping on the sheets again in the process. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Passing through while running an errand." Biggs answered from somewhere behind Barret.

Tifa knew she had some rotten luck, but this just took the mako. It would be at least a little less mortifying if only Marle saw her like this. Tifa was a grown woman for crying out loud!

"Okay. Show's over." Marle got the hint almost immediately that Tifa was alright but wanted space so she began pushing Barret outside. Surprisingly effectively for an old woman of her stature. "Out."

"See ya, Tifa!" Barret managed to get out before being shoved out of view.

"Sleep tight!" Biggs added.

Marle waited in the doorway, likely watching the retreating men before turning back to Tifa. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah." Tifa sighed sitting on the edge of her bed. "Bad dream."

Merle nodded in understanding but looked like she wanted to ask more. In the end, she must have decided against it. The broken door on the floor caught her attention next, in addition to Tifa's.

"Think that pal of yours can come by and fix it? What's his name… Wedge?"

"Yeah, no problem. He'd be happy to help."

It took a little more reassuring and no small amount of shooing before Merle left and Tifa was alone again. The broken door left to lean uselessly in the doorway.

With the excitement over with, Tifa at last allowed herself to fall back into her pillows with a dramatic, but muffled, thump.

Despite what Tifa had told them, she was pretty far from alright. Try as she might, she couldn't get the dream from her mind. If anything happened to Cloud… it was on her head. She was going to have to live with it.

Some friend she was…

Cloud was alright, Tifa had to keep telling herself that. Maybe she might start to believe it… yeah, that probably was not going to happened any time soon.

**Author's Note:**

> To those curious, you could take this as pre-Cloud/Tifa, or not. It can go either way. But I'm putting more of a general tag on this one. My other works will be more ship focused, you'll all see when I get them finished. As for what ship, you'll see.
> 
> Leave some review so I know what you all think!
> 
> And yes, requests/suggestions are very much encouraged and accepted.


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